April 2007

April 27, 2007

My friend Emily has identified the cocktail that I will be drinking all spring and summer. Last night, she brought over a big pitcher of rosemary lemonade, along with an issue of Edible Memphis, a magazine that is new to Memphis and features local food, chefs, farmers, food traditions, and recipes and that also exists in other cities like San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, and Portland. The recipe for rosemary lemonade came from Edible Memphis and is credited to Suzy Askew of the Magevney House Kitchen Garden. It is so delicious, and it even gives a little kick when combined with a shot of vodka. I imagine that the lemonade would also be great with gin, as gin and lemon tend to be delicious together, but I haven't tried it yet. Consume with caution if you decide to add spirits- the lemonade completely masks the flavor of the vodka.

Rosemary Lemonademakes 6 cups

5 c water
1 c sugar
1 c fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 c fresh lemon juice

Mix sugar and two cups of water in a saucepan and boil gently for five minutes. Add the rosemary, remove the mixture from the heat, and let cool. Strain the liquid into a pitcher and add three cups of water and the fresh lemon juice. Stir well and serve over ice with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

April 26, 2007

We liked Mimsie's shrimp boil so much, we had friends over last night for a repeat! Since we purchased a load of shrimp on our way out of Florida this past Sunday, Chad and I had the makings for our shrimp boil on hand. We served the steaming shrimp right onto the table (covered first with garbage bags, then newspapers) along with potato salad, green salad, and brownies with ice cream for dessert. Luckily, there was about a pound of boiled shrimp left at the end of the evening, the perfect amount for a little batch of shrimp salad. I have been looking for shrimp salad since last Wednesday when we arrived in Florida, but I don't think the Floridians are as keen on it as I had imagined they would be, because I didn't have any shrimp salad at all on our trip. So, today on my lunch break I threw a few ingredients together and came up with exactly what I wanted- I had some chopped leeks and a couple of celery stalks left over from the potato salad, and the rest was simple! Sufficiently dressed, but not overdone, seasoned but not so much that the flavor of the shrimp got lost, this shrimp salad was exactly what I wanted and was perfect on a sandwich. Here's the recipe...

April 23, 2007

Chad and I just got back from Florida, where we had my family's 2007 cousins' trip...fifteen cousins and husbands/wives plus their children and our super-star grandmother, Baba. Spending time with the family is always a blast, especially getting to see those who live out of town. Chad and I were able to have an outing on Saturday to enjoy places we always return to: Bud and Alley's for lunch and beers overlooking the beach, Sundog Bookstore, Central Records, and Jittery Joe's Coffee. (All of these places are in Seaside, one of the "beaches of South Walton") We had two dinner teams, and mine served fish tacos on Thursday night along with all the fixins. On the last night, we had a shrimp boil to celebrate the trip and a couple of birthdays. Mimsie, my ever-talented honorary cousin, was in charge of the dinner. What a great note on which to end the trip- cousins and grandmother standing around the newspaper-covered table peeling shrimp, a view of the sun setting over the quietly crashing waves in the background. Mimsie and her team of sous-chefs also prepared a gorgeous green salad with walnuts and blue cheese, pasta salad, and roasted onions with blue cheese. Finally, coconut cake and red velvet cake from Sugaree's bakery in New Albany, MS. Mmmm...I am craving shrimp! Good thing we stopped at Shrimpers Seafood Market and filled up our cooler on the way out of town!

Fill a large pot with water and add all ingredients except shrimp. Bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp in batches. Cook the shrimp for about two minutes, until they just turn pink. Take them out of the water quickly and allow them to drain in a colander. The shrimp will continue to cook after they have been removed from the boiling water. Continue until all shrimp are done. Serve with cocktail sauce and remoulade for dipping.

April 16, 2007

Although it is already the middle of April, it has been pretty chilly here in Memphis. Hence, two soup blogs in a row. Chad wanted something spicy last night, and there was an episode of Rick Bayless's cooking show Mexico: One Plate at a Time on TV when we were deciding what to have for dinner, so we ended up with tortilla soup. I have made this soup before from a recipe in one of my southern junior league books, and it was always good, but I think Rick Bayless has it down pat. Although the recipe has several steps, the soup is actually really simple to make and doesn't require too many ingredients. Since we made it last night, I have also had it for lunch and again for dinner tonight! Delicious...

*I used chipotle-flavored tostadas, but you could also use tortilla chips.
**I used quesadilla cheese, but you could use chihuahua or even monterey jack, although it is much milder in flavor than the mexican varieties.

Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add garlic and onion. Cook until garlic and onion begin to turn golden brown, and remove garlic and onion and place them in a blender. Toast the dried chili over a gas flame until its color darkens on all sides. If you do not have a gas stove or a grill, use a dry frying pan to toast the chili. Chop the chili coarsely and add to the blender. Add the tomatoes to the blender and puree until the mixture is smooth. There will be flecks of chili pepper in the mixture. Reheat the saucepan and add the tomato mixture. Reduce the mixture for about 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until it is thicker in texture- not quite as thick as tomato paste. Add the broth. Place the cilantro in a tea ball or wrap in a piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter and tie with string, place in the saucepan. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt (I used about 1.5 teaspoons).

Cut the avocado in half and remove the seed by smacking the blade of your knife into the middle of the seed. You should be able to turn the seed and easily remove it. Slice the avocado and divide evenly among the bowls. Top with a generous handful of broken tostada pieces. Ladle the soup over the garnishes and squeeze a small wedge of lime into each bowl. Top with grated cheese. Enjoy!

April 08, 2007

It's Easter! Not only does this mean watching the kids hunt for Easter eggs and the ninth annual coldwater jump (It's a tradition for all of the men in the family to jump into the lake on Easter weekend, which is spent at my uncle's farm. This year it was about 40 degrees outside- weather is no deterrent when it comes to a tradition in this family!), but it also means that our time of lenten sacrifice is over until next year. Now it's time to rejoice! Time to celebrate by indulging my carnivorous side. So, this morning, I decided to make lentil soup with chorizo. I know we are headed to my mother-in-law's for a beautiful lunch of beef tenderloin, shrimp and hearts of palm salad, and Harriett's potatoes (another tradition-more on this one later), so a bowl of soup will be plenty for dinner. This is another recipe from Anne-Catherine Bley's book of soups- it is terribly simple and delicious!

*I used two tablespoons
**I use a tea-ball for my bouquets garnis- into the teaball I put about five whole peppercorns and a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. Into the pot I also placed three whole cloves of garlic (peeled), and two bay leaves. You may purchase bouquets garnis if you like from a gourmet grocer, but it is just as easy to do it this way, and you can choose for yourself what goes in. If you don't have a teaball, wrap up your bouqet in some cheesecloth or even a coffee filter and tie with string.

Rinse the lentils according to the instructions on the packet, they do not need presoaking. Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel and slice the carrot into rounds.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Add the carrot and lentils and mix well.

Pour in the water. Add the sausage whole and the bouquet garni (tied to the pan handle for easy removal). Season lightly with salt.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes. When the lentils are cooked, remove them from the heat and take out the bouquet garni and the sausage. Set the sausage aside and keep warm.

Blend the soup until smooth in a blender or with a hand-held "stick" blender. Remove the skin from the sausage, slice into thick rounds and cut each round into quarters. Adjust the seasoning of the soup after having tasted the sausage. Stir in the sausage pieces and serve the soup piping hot.

Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprig of thyme if you like. Enjoy!

April 06, 2007

Chad is finally back from Buenos Aires! I picked him up from the airport today, along with his fellow traveller, Eric. Their flight was delayed about an hour, so by the time I finally left the house to collect the two travel-weary men from Memphis International, I was quite the eager beaver. I left about five minutes too early and, rather than drive in circles around the baggage claim, angry airport traffic cops giving me dirty looks and urging me forward with their whistles, I decided to stop on Airways Blvd at Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies. Who wouldn't be happy to come home to a three-pack of some of the best cookies in Memphis? Talk about edible therapy: the smell of the place when one enters is absolutely sublime. All baking butter and sugar. I decided on one butter cookie, one double chocolate dream with pecans, and one oatmeal raisin each for Chad and Eric. The oatmeal raisin are my personal favorites, but they are known for their butter cookies, after all. The cookies were still warm when they were the bags were handed to me.

I first discovered Makeda's a couple of years ago when I was a social worker serving clients in the field, many of whom lived near Makeda's. I must have had time to kill, and I stopped in for a baker's dozen. Since that time, Makeda's has grown slightly. They have added a locaton on Raleigh-Lagrange and I have spotted cookie booths at both the Mid-South Fair and also at the Cooper-Young Festival. Hopefully, the business will continue to grow so I can keep indulging in these delicious cookies as long as I am still able to pick folks up from the airport!

April 03, 2007

OK, I know the site is called edible therapy and not drinkable therapy, but my camera was hijacked and this is a fabulous wine at a very reasonable price- under $20! Here is the review from wine.com:

This wine will mature into the medium-term, producing a rich, rolling, generous and complex wine, balanced by long, clean, refreshing acidity. Given time to prove its longevity, and most importantly, not served overchilled, The Hermit Crab should show an intense, complex nuttiness, with an emphasis on cashews and butterscotch, while still retaining a fragrant, mineral character.

This Marsanne-Viognier blend is complex, but still very user-friendly. I intend to keep it in my cellar (ha!) all spring and summer long. Let me know what you think of it!

April 01, 2007

Harissa is a Moroccan spice paste- I had heard of it before in Patricia Wells' books and on cooking shows, but had never tried it or made it until yesterday. It is so simple to put together and so delicious and versatile- I know I will make it a kitchen staple in my home. When I began looking for information on how to make this hot and heavily spiced seasoning, I found that there are infinite ways to prepare harissa. A few critical items that I retained from my search are as follows: harissa is made from peppers, garlic, and olive oil; the peppers are often smoked; the spices which may be added on top of those three key ingredients are innumerable. I settled on cumin seed and salt as my add-ins and decided to use a mixture of ground chipotle pepper and crushed red pepper for heat. I love this seasoning- I have used it already to make hummus and roasted potatoes, the latter being my favorite. I intend to use my harissa in the near future as a marinade for pork or chicken, and I wonder how well it would keep in a jar as a condiment to be used at the table? Forget ketchup- this is my new condiment of choice.

Beware- it is very spicy. To use harissa on roasted potatoes, just mix it in after they come out of the oven. I used fingerling potatoes sliced into two-inch chunks, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted at 400 degrees for about thirty minutes- nice and crispy. About one tablespoon of harissa per 1/2 pound of potatoes suits my taste, but season to your liking.